"I fear they will take advantage of the goodwill of the people who continue to show up," Mr. Mom said. "For my money, it's disrespectful. At some point, you have to either write the check or you have to do something and not assume, 'Well, we're OK, and ultimately (the franchise) is valuable, anyway.'

"Look, I'd do it, too, if I were a businessman. But, at some point, you've got to win. I think the fans have been gracious ... and maybe not vociferous enough with their displeasure. That's my opinion."

Keaton, whose selection to throw out the first pitch raised some eyebrows, mainly because he's not a member of a recent Super Bowl champion, spouted off enough to receive a "no comment" from the Pirates brass. Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale were unavailable to comment.